Oklahoma coach Brent Venables faces tough decisions at season's end about how to manage his offense, particularly the need for an identity under coordinator Ben Arbuckle, whose unit continues to hamper the Sooners' progress this fall. Saturday's boo-filled 42-25 loss to South Carolina was another data point in a campaign marked by offensive struggles, including ineptitude at home against Kentucky, a spanking at Georgia, and a near whiff against New Mexico in Week 3 that magnified lingering issues from last fall. Since upending top-ranked Texas in Red River to begin October, Oklahoma's offensive production has reverted to its anemic norm, and the Sooners are now 4-4 overall, 2-3 in the SEC.
They're only one game over .500 in conference play under Venables (20-19) and are in danger of their third losing season in five years without a strong finish. Can Venables and Arbuckle find a way to get out of this funk before the end of the season and offer momentum entering 2027? Without any semblance of a rushing attack early against the Gamecocks, quarterback John Mateer completed 7 of 12 passes in the first half of Saturday's loss for 25 yards, most of those throws being quick tosses to the perimeter and none to the second level.
The Sooners had more penalty yards than offensive yards by intermission and trailed 28-10, Oklahoma's lone score coming on an interception return for a touchdown from Kip Lewis in the second quarter. Venables came off the field harping on lack of execution and explosive plays, a similar song and dance to what's been said previously. Venables hired Arbuckle after the 2024 season to reinvigorate the program offensively, and he brought Mateer with him from Washington State to run the show, but the Sooners' ROI has waned with the pairing.
Yes, Oklahoma appeared in the College Football Playoff last season, but did so in spite of inconsistencies offensively anchored by a stingy defense. Down the stretch last November, the Sooners had 47 offensive possessions over four games before the CFP's first round, with 25 finishing in punts, five resulting in turnovers and one ending on downs. Nine finished with a successful field goal and seven ended in touchdowns.
And of those touchdown possessions, only two spanned five or more plays. History has repeated itself this fall. Oklahoma entered Saturday's Week 9 game at the bottom of the SEC in total offense, rushing offense and 15th in scoring offense — all statistics that are worse than last season's showing.
According to TruMedia, coming into Saturday's game, Oklahoma's three-and-out rate this season was 34.1%, which ranked 120th nationally. "It ain't changing," Oklahoma grad and analyst Dari Nowkah said at halftime from the SEC Network set. "You'll see No. 10 trot back out there.
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